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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!mcnc!ecsvax!mjg
From: mjg@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael Gingell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: 1.2M drive for compatible
Message-ID: <3085@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 8-May-87 08:21:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.3085
Posted: Fri May  8 08:21:12 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 9-May-87 17:58:14 EDT
References: <1720@tekigm2.TEK.COM>
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 28
Summary: Yes you can put a 1.2 Meg drive on a PC or XT

In article <1720@tekigm2.TEK.COM>, wrd@tekigm2.TEK.COM (Bill Dippert) writes:
> 
> Can anyone tell me how to get a 1.2Meg disk drive that will work with a Maxim
> PC-XT compatible.

The 1.2 Meg drives need a special controller which can deliver data
at 500 kHz instead of the regular 250 kHz. Normally this is available
only on an AT, and as far as I know, the software to support it is in
the BIOS of the AT and not in DOS.

However you can add a 1.2Meg drive to a PC in one of two ways. Weltec
makes a specially modified drive  (I think the type # is M16P) which
rotates at 180 rpm which gives an effective data transfer rate of
250 kHz which makes it compatible with your regular PC controller.
They supply a device driver which handles the additional format.
You can get these drives from Priority One for around $169.

Also several companies are now offering disk controllers that run
on a PC or XT or PC/XT compatible and have the capability of
working with standard unmodified AT type 1.2 Meg drives. This is
a better solution as the data transfer rate is twice as fast. Look
in Computer Shopper for the sources for these.

Mike Gingell   ...decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!mjg
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> --Bill Dippert--
> tektronix!tekigm2!wrd